Does anyone play these? I just picked up Sunless Sea on Steam yesterday and I'm officially hooked. It's a roguelike, RPG-ish game set in a strange, underground sea setting where London has apparently "fallen" under the surface somehow (stolen by bats is the explanation given by the game).

Atmosphere is like a weird blend of quirky, oddball humor and Lovecraftian nightmare. Apparently, in this underground sea no one really dies of old age, they just turn into mummies (seriously). At the very beginning I was asked by one of these people to take him/her to a place called Venderbight, where they go to...well, not die, but slowly stop living as much.

But then once I got there, they wanted me to bring them 10 casks of wine so they could have a party.

You play as a zee-captain (sea is always 'zee' in-game) and you can recruit crew, explore and, frequently, die. If you do well enough, you can pass on some of your experience and equipment to your next captain. Money is earned sometimes by trading, but more frequently by amassing secrets through exploration and gathering information. Stories and reports of what you have seen and heard are more the mechanism of trade and acquisition than items, resources, etc.

Combat occurs when you encounter sea monsters and pirate ships. You are encouraged - pushed, even - to explore, and the map rearranges partially whenever you have a captain die. However you have only limited resources for fuel and food, so it makes a nice, tense balance.

Fallen London is a text-based, browser game set in the same universe, and is not confined to sailing the undersea ('unterzee'). I've only just started it. As an example of the flavor of the games, though, here is the text for the third option when you are choosing your character's gender:

"My dear sir, there are individuals roaming the streets of Fallen London at this very moment with the faces of squid! Squid! Do you ask them their gender? And yet you waste our time asking me trifling and impertinent questions about mine? It is my own business, sir, and I bid you good day."

I tried Sunless Sea (hadn't heard of Fallen London) when it was free for a weekend on steam and will certainly buy it when offer comes round. I agree with Liu Yuante about the atmosphere it creates both as you sail through the dark waters and the humour/style when you talk to people on land, I like the trading. I'll probably end up cheating becuase I love the world but I don't like the "fuel and food goes down very very quickly"

“You, are a rebellious son who abandoned his father. You are a cruel brigand who murdered his lord. How can Heaven and Earth put up with you for long? And unless you die soon, how can you face the sight of men?”

It is for free till Monday on Steam if people want to give Sunless Sea a try

“You, are a rebellious son who abandoned his father. You are a cruel brigand who murdered his lord. How can Heaven and Earth put up with you for long? And unless you die soon, how can you face the sight of men?”